Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

ABSTRACT

An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed in which at least a part of the liquid supply system (which provides liquid between the projection system and the substrate) is moveable in a plane substantially parallel to a top surface of the substrate during scanning. The part is moved to reduce the relative velocity between that part and the substrate so that the speed at which the substrate may be moved relative to the projection system may be increased.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/188,216, filed Nov. 12, 2018, now allowed, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/483,410, filed Apr. 10, 2017, nowU.S. Pat. No. 10,126,664, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/831,663, filed Aug. 20, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.9,618,853, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/331,003, filed Jul. 14, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,140,996, which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/960,947,filed Dec. 6, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,786,823, which is a continuationapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/404,091, filed Apr.14, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,864,292, which is a continuation-in-partapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/391,683, filed Mar.29, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,804,577, and of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/274,888, filed Nov. 16, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,656,501,the entire contents of each application is hereby incorporated byreference.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and a methodfor manufacturing a device.

BACKGROUND

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired patternonto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. Alithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture ofintegrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, whichis alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used togenerate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of theIC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g.comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a siliconwafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer ofradiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. Ingeneral, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent targetportions that are successively patterned. Known lithographic apparatusinclude so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiatedby exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at one time, andso-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated byscanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the“scanning”-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrateparallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible totransfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate byimprinting the pattern onto the substrate.

It has been proposed to immerse the substrate in the lithographicprojection apparatus in a liquid having a relatively high refractiveindex, e.g. water, so as to fill a space between the final element ofthe projection system and the substrate. The point of this is to enableimaging of smaller features since the exposure radiation will have ashorter wavelength in the liquid. (The effect of the liquid may also beregarded as increasing the effective NA of the system and alsoincreasing the depth of focus.) Other immersion liquids have beenproposed, including water with solid particles (e.g. quartz) suspendedtherein.

However, submersing the substrate or substrate and substrate table in abath of liquid (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,852) means thatthere is a large body of liquid that must be accelerated during ascanning exposure. This requires additional or more powerful motors andturbulence in the liquid may lead to undesirable and unpredictableeffects.

One of the solutions proposed is for a liquid supply system to provideliquid on only a localized area of the substrate and in between thefinal element of the projection system and the substrate using a liquidconfinement system (the substrate generally has a larger surface areathan the final element of the projection system). One way which has beenproposed to arrange for this is disclosed in PCT patent applicationpublication WO 99/49504. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, liquid issupplied by at least one inlet IN onto the substrate, preferably alongthe direction of movement of the substrate relative to the finalelement, and is removed by at least one outlet OUT after having passedunder the projection system. That is, as the substrate is scannedbeneath the element in a −X direction, liquid is supplied at the +X sideof the element and taken up at the −X side. FIG. 2 shows the arrangementschematically in which liquid is supplied via inlet IN and is taken upon the other side of the element by outlet OUT which is connected to alow pressure source. In the illustration of FIG. 2 the liquid issupplied along the direction of movement of the substrate relative tothe final element, though this does not need to be the case. Variousorientations and numbers of in- and out-lets positioned around the finalelement are possible, one example is illustrated in FIG. 3 in which foursets of an inlet with an outlet on either side are provided in a regularpattern around the final element.

A further immersion lithography solution with a localized liquid supplysystem is shown in FIG. 4. Liquid is supplied by two groove inlets IN oneither side of the projection system PL and is removed by a plurality ofdiscrete outlets OUT arranged radially outwardly of the inlets IN. Theinlets IN and OUT can be arranged in a plate with a hole in its centerand through which the projection beam is projected. Liquid is suppliedby one groove inlet IN on one side of the projection system PL andremoved by a plurality of discrete outlets OUT on the other side of theprojection system PL, causing a flow of a thin film of liquid betweenthe projection system PL and the substrate W. The choice of whichcombination of inlet IN and outlets OUT to use can depend on thedirection of movement of the substrate W (the other combination of inletIN and outlets OUT being inactive).

Another immersion lithography solution with a localized liquid supplysystem solution which has been proposed is to provide the liquid supplysystem with a barrier member which extends along at least a part of aboundary of the space between the final element of the projection systemand the substrate table. Such a solution is illustrated in FIG. 5. Thebarrier member is substantially stationary relative to the projectionsystem in the XY plane though there may be some relative movement in theZ direction (in the direction of the optical axis). In an embodiment, aseal is formed between the barrier member and the surface of thesubstrate and may be a contactless seal such as a gas seal.

The barrier member 12 at least partly contains liquid in the space 11between a final element of the projection system PL and the substrate W.A contactless seal 16 to the substrate may be formed around the imagefield of the projection system so that liquid is confined within thespace between the substrate surface and the final element of theprojection system. The space is at least partly formed by the barriermember 12 positioned below and surrounding the final element of theprojection system PL. Liquid is brought into the space below theprojection system and within the barrier member 12 by liquid inlet 13and may be removed by liquid outlet 13. The barrier member 12 may extenda little above the final element of the projection system and the liquidlevel rises above the final element so that a buffer of liquid isprovided. The barrier member 12 has an inner periphery that at the upperend, in an embodiment, closely conforms to the shape of the projectionsystem or the final element thereof and may, e.g., be round. At thebottom, the inner periphery closely conforms to the shape of the imagefield, e.g., rectangular though this need not be the case.

The liquid is contained in the space 11 by a gas seal 16 which, duringuse, is formed between the bottom of the barrier member 12 and thesurface of the substrate W. The gas seal is formed by gas, e.g. air orsynthetic air but, in an embodiment, N₂ or another inert gas, providedunder pressure via inlet 15 to the gap between barrier member 12 andsubstrate and extracted via outlet 14. The overpressure on the gas inlet15, vacuum level on the outlet 14 and geometry of the gap are arrangedso that there is a high-velocity gas flow inwards that confines theliquid. Those inlets/outlets may be annular grooves which surround thespace 11 and the flow of gas 16 is effective to contain the liquid inthe space 11. Such a system is disclosed in United States patentapplication publication no. US 2004-0207824, hereby incorporated in itsentirety by reference.

In European patent application publication no. EP 1420300 and UnitedStates patent application publication no. US 2004-0136494, each herebyincorporated in their entirety by reference, the idea of a twin or dualstage immersion lithography apparatus is disclosed. Such an apparatus isprovided with two tables for supporting a substrate. Levelingmeasurements are carried out with a table at a first position, withoutimmersion liquid, and exposure is carried out with a table at a secondposition, where immersion liquid is present. Alternatively, theapparatus has only one table.

A possible downside of immersion lithography is reduced throughput dueto liquid handling issues.

SUMMARY

It is desirable, for example, to provide a lithographic projectionapparatus and device manufacturing method using immersion lithography inwhich one or more measures are taken to increase throughput.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided alithographic apparatus, comprising:

a projection system;

a table configured to hold a substrate to be imaged by the projectionsystem; and

a liquid supply system configured to provide a space between theprojection system and the substrate with liquid, at least a part of theliquid supply system being moveable relative to and independent of theprojection system and the substrate in at least one direction which issubstantially parallel to a top surface of the substrate.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided alithographic apparatus, comprising:

a projection system;

a table configured to hold a substrate to be imaged by the projectionsystem; and

a liquid supply system comprising a barrier member, surrounding theprojection system, configured to at least partly contain liquid in avolume including a space between the projection system and thesubstrate,

wherein the barrier member is configured to be moveable independently ofthe substrate in a first direction in a plane substantially parallel toa top surface of the substrate, and

wherein the barrier member is sized and shaped such that it is moveablein the first direction by at least a distance equal to a slit height ofthe lithographic apparatus.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided alithographic apparatus, comprising:

a projection system;

a table configured to hold a substrate to be imaged by the projectionsystem;

a liquid supply system configured to provide a space between theprojection system and the substrate with liquid; and

a force decoupling member, positioned around the projection system and,in use, in the liquid, to at least reduce transfer of forces from theliquid supply system to the projection system through the liquid.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a devicemanufacturing method, comprising:

providing a liquid between a projection system and a substrate using aliquid supply system, part of which forms a seal between it and thesubstrate;

using the projection system to project a patterned beam of radiationonto the substrate;

moving the substrate under the projection system; and

during moving of the substrate, moving the part of the liquid supplysystem in a direction and at a speed to reduce the relative velocitybetween the substrate and the part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in whichcorresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts, and inwhich:

FIG. 1 depicts a lithographic apparatus according to an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 depict a liquid supply system for use in a lithographicprojection apparatus;

FIG. 4 depicts another liquid supply system for use in a lithographicprojection apparatus;

FIG. 5 illustrates, in cross-section, a barrier member with a gas sealformed between the liquid supply system and the substrate;

FIG. 6 illustrates, in cross-section, a further liquid supply system inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates, in plan, the liquid supply system of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8a-c illustrate schematically movements of a substrate and a partof a liquid supply system under the projection system; and

FIGS. 9a-c illustrate schematically movements of a substrate and a partof a liquid supply system under the projection system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a lithographic apparatus according to oneembodiment of the invention. The apparatus comprises:

-   -   an illumination system (illuminator) IL configured to condition        a radiation beam B (e.g. UV radiation or DUV radiation);    -   a support structure (e.g. a mask table) MT constructed to        support a patterning device (e.g. a mask) MA and connected to a        first positioner PM configured to accurately position the        patterning device in accordance with certain parameters;    -   a substrate table (e.g. a wafer table) WT constructed to hold a        substrate (e.g. a resist-coated wafer) W and connected to a        second positioner PW configured to accurately position the        substrate in accordance with certain parameters; and    -   a projection system (e.g. a refractive projection lens system)        PS configured to project a pattern imparted to the radiation        beam B by patterning device MA onto a target portion C (e.g.        comprising one or more dies) of the substrate W.

The illumination system may include various types of optical components,such as refractive, reflective, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostaticor other types of optical components, or any combination thereof, fordirecting, shaping, or controlling radiation.

The support structure supports, i.e. bears the weight of, the patterningdevice. It holds the patterning device in a manner that depends on theorientation of the patterning device, the design of the lithographicapparatus, and other conditions, such as for example whether or not thepatterning device is held in a vacuum environment. The support structurecan use mechanical, vacuum, electrostatic or other clamping techniquesto hold the patterning device. The support structure may be a frame or atable, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required. Thesupport structure may ensure that the patterning device is at a desiredposition, for example with respect to the projection system. Any use ofthe terms “reticle” or “mask” herein may be considered synonymous withthe more general term “patterning device.”

The term “patterning device” used herein should be broadly interpretedas referring to any device that can be used to impart a radiation beamwith a pattern in its cross-section such as to create a pattern in atarget portion of the substrate. It should be noted that the patternimparted to the radiation beam may not exactly correspond to the desiredpattern in the target portion of the substrate, for example if thepattern includes phase-shifting features or so called assist features.Generally, the pattern imparted to the radiation beam will correspond toa particular functional layer in a device being created in the targetportion, such as an integrated circuit.

The patterning device may be transmissive or reflective. Examples ofpatterning devices include masks, programmable mirror arrays, andprogrammable LCD panels. Masks are well known in lithography, andinclude mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, andattenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. An exampleof a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of smallmirrors, each of which can be individually tilted so as to reflect anincoming radiation beam in different directions. The tilted mirrorsimpart a pattern in a radiation beam which is reflected by the mirrormatrix.

The term “projection system” used herein should be broadly interpretedas encompassing any type of projection system, including refractive,reflective, catadioptric, magnetic, electromagnetic and electrostaticoptical systems, or any combination thereof, as appropriate for theexposure radiation being used, or for other factors such as the use ofan immersion liquid or the use of a vacuum. Any use of the term“projection lens” herein may be considered as synonymous with the moregeneral term “projection system”.

As here depicted, the apparatus is of a transmissive type (e.g.employing a transmissive mask). Alternatively, the apparatus may be of areflective type (e.g. employing a programmable mirror array of a type asreferred to above, or employing a reflective mask).

The lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two (dual stage) ormore substrate tables (and/or two or more support structures). In such“multiple stage” machines the additional tables may be used in parallel,or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while oneor more other tables are being used for exposure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the illuminator IL receives a radiation beam from aradiation source SO. The source and the lithographic apparatus may beseparate entities, for example when the source is an excimer laser. Insuch cases, the source is not considered to form part of thelithographic apparatus and the radiation beam is passed from the sourceSO to the illuminator IL with the aid of a beam delivery system BDcomprising, for example, suitable directing mirrors and/or a beamexpander. In other cases the source may be an integral part of thelithographic apparatus, for example when the source is a mercury lamp.The source SO and the illuminator IL, together with the beam deliverysystem BD if required, may be referred to as a radiation system.

The illuminator IL may comprise an adjuster AD for adjusting the angularintensity distribution of the radiation beam. Generally, at least theouter and/or inner radial extent (commonly referred to as σ-outer andσ-inner, respectively) of the intensity distribution in a pupil plane ofthe illuminator can be adjusted. In addition, the illuminator IL maycomprise various other components, such as an integrator IN and acondenser CO. The illuminator may be used to condition the radiationbeam, to have a desired uniformity and intensity distribution in itscross-section.

The radiation beam B is incident on the patterning device (e.g., mask)MA, which is held on the support structure (e.g., mask table) MT, and ispatterned by the patterning device. Having traversed the patterningdevice MA, the radiation beam B passes through the projection system PS,which focuses the beam onto a target portion C of the substrate W. Withthe aid of the second positioner PW and position sensor IF (e.g. aninterferometric device, linear encoder or capacitive sensor), thesubstrate table WT can be moved accurately, e.g. so as to positiondifferent target portions C in the path of the radiation beam B.Similarly, the first positioner PM and another position sensor (which isnot explicitly depicted in FIG. 1) can be used to accurately positionthe patterning device MA with respect to the path of the radiation beamB, e.g. after mechanical retrieval from a mask library, or during ascan. In general, movement of the support structure MT may be realizedwith the aid of a long-stroke module (coarse positioning) and ashort-stroke module (fine positioning), which form part of the firstpositioner PM. Similarly, movement of the substrate table WT may berealized using a long-stroke module and a short-stroke module, whichform part of the second positioner PW. In the case of a stepper (asopposed to a scanner) the support structure MT may be connected to ashort-stroke actuator only, or may be fixed. Patterning device MA andsubstrate W may be aligned using patterning device alignment marks M1,M2 and substrate alignment marks P1, P2. Although the substratealignment marks as illustrated occupy dedicated target portions, theymay be located in spaces between target portions (these are known asscribe-lane alignment marks). Similarly, in situations in which morethan one die is provided on the patterning device MA, the patterningdevice alignment marks may be located between the dies.

The depicted apparatus could be used in at least one of the followingmodes:

1. In step mode, the support structure MT and the substrate table WT arekept essentially stationary, while an entire pattern imparted to theradiation beam is projected onto a target portion C at one time (i.e. asingle static exposure). The substrate table WT is then shifted in the Xand/or Y direction so that a different target portion C can be exposed.In step mode, the maximum size of the exposure field limits the size ofthe target portion C imaged in a single static exposure.

2. In scan mode, the support structure MT and the substrate table WT arescanned synchronously while a pattern imparted to the radiation beam isprojected onto a target portion C (i.e. a single dynamic exposure). Thevelocity and direction of the substrate table WT relative to the supportstructure MT may be determined by the (de-)magnification and imagereversal characteristics of the projection system PS. In scan mode, themaximum size of the exposure field limits the width (in the non-scanningdirection) of the target portion in a single dynamic exposure, whereasthe length of the scanning motion determines the height (in the scanningdirection) of the target portion.

3. In another mode, the support structure MT is kept essentiallystationary holding a programmable patterning device, and the substratetable WT is moved or scanned while a pattern imparted to the radiationbeam is projected onto a target portion C. In this mode, generally apulsed radiation source is employed and the programmable patterningdevice is updated as required after each movement of the substrate tableWT or in between successive radiation pulses during a scan. This mode ofoperation can be readily applied to maskless lithography that utilizesprogrammable patterning device, such as a programmable mirror array of atype as referred to above.

Combinations and/or variations on the above described modes of use orentirely different modes of use may also be employed.

One or more embodiments of the present invention are applicable to alltypes of liquid supply system which have a speed at which the liquid mayno longer be contained sufficiently. In particular those types whichcontain the liquid in a volume above the substrate and which at leastpartly rely on capillary forces and/or an underpressure and/or gaspressure and/or hydrodynamic forces and/or friction between the liquidand the substrate, etc. to help ensure that liquid does not escape thatvolume. Examples of such liquid supply systems are illustrated in FIGS.2-6 and other types of liquid supply system may also make use of one ormore embodiments of the present invention, including those which use agas knife to contain the liquid e.g. as depicted in FIG. 5. Anembodiment of the present invention will be described in relation to theliquid supply system illustrated in FIG. 6 which comprises a barriermember 12. However, it will be understood that this and otherembodiments may also be applicable to other types of liquid supplysystem, and particularly those which provide a liquid to a localizedarea of a substrate and to those relative to which the substrate movesduring imaging of the substrate.

Various types of liquid supply system attempt to create a seal between apart of the liquid supply system and a substrate. Movement of thesubstrate relative to that part of the liquid supply system may lead tobreakdown of the seal and thereby cause leaking of liquid. In anembodiment of the present invention, one or more measures are taken toreduce the relative velocity between that part of the liquid supplysystem and the substrate W during imaging. In this way the scanningspeed of the substrate W at which the seal may break down is increasedso as to allow faster movement of the substrate W under the projectionsystem and thereby possibly increase throughput.

FIG. 6 illustrates a barrier member 12 which is part of a liquid supplysystem. The barrier member 12 extends around the periphery of the finalelement of the projection system PL such that the barrier member (whichis sometimes called a seal member) is, for example, substantiallyannular in overall shape. The projection system PL may not be circularand the inner and/or outer edge of the barrier member 12 may also not becircular so that it is not necessary for the barrier member to be ringshaped and it could also be other shapes (as described with reference toFIG. 7) so long as it has a central opening through which the projectionbeam may pass out of the final element of the projection system PLthrough liquid contained in the central opening and onto the substrateW.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 the barrier member 12 may be, for example,substantially rectangular and is not necessarily the same shape as thefinal element of the projection system PL is at the height of thebarrier member 12 (illustrated by line 300 in FIG. 6). The significanceof what is illustrated in FIG. 7 will be described below in more detail.

A function of the barrier member 12 is to at least partly maintain orconfine liquid in the space between the projection system PL and thesubstrate W so that the projection beam may pass through the liquid. Thetop level of liquid is simply contained by the presence of the barriermember and the level of liquid in the space is maintained such that theliquid does not overflow over the top of the barrier member 12. In anembodiment, a seal is provided between the bottom of the barrier member12 and the substrate W. In FIG. 6 the seal is a contactless seal and ismade up of several components. Working radially outwardly from theoptical axis of the projection system PL, there is provided a (optional)flow plate 50 which extends into the space (though not into the path ofthe projection beam) which helps maintain substantially parallel flow ofthe immersion liquid out of outlet 20 across the space. The flow controlplate has through holes 55 in it to reduce the resistance to movement inthe direction of the optical axis of the barrier member 12 relative tothe projection system PL and/or substrate W. Moving radially outwardlyalong the bottom of the barrier member 12 there is then provided anoutlet 60 which provides a flow of liquid in a direction substantiallyparallel to the optical axis towards the substrate. This flow of liquidis used to help fill any gaps between the edge of the substrate W andthe substrate table WT which holds the substrate. If this gap is notfilled with liquid, bubbles may be included in the liquid in the spacebetween the projection system PL and the substrate W when an edge of thesubstrate W passes under the seal. This is undesirable as it may lead todeterioration of the image quality.

Radially outwardly of the outlet 60 is an extractor assembly 70configured to extract liquid from between the barrier member 12 and thesubstrate W. The extractor 70 will be described in more detail below andis configured to form, in part, the contactless seal which is createdbetween the barrier member 12 and the substrate W.

Radially outwardly of the extractor assembly is a recess 80 which isconnected through an inlet 82 to the atmosphere and via an outlet 84 toa low pressure source. Radially outwardly of the recess 80 is a gasknife 90. An arrangement of the extractor, recess and gas knife isdisclosed in detail in U.S. patent application 60/643,626, filed Jan.14, 2005, incorporated herein its entirety by reference. However, inthat application the arrangement of the extractor assembly is different.

The extractor assembly 70 is comprised of a liquid removal device orextractor or inlet 100 such as the one disclosed in United States patentapplication publication US 2006-0038968, incorporated herein itsentirety by reference. Any type of liquid extractor may be used. In anembodiment, the liquid removal device 100 comprises an inlet which iscovered in a porous material 110 which is used to separate liquid fromgas to enable single-liquid phase liquid extraction. A chamber 120downstream of the porous material 110 is maintained at a slight underpressure and is filled with liquid. The under pressure in the chamber120 is such that the meniscuses formed in the holes of the porousmaterial prevent ambient gas being drawn into the chamber 120 of theliquid removal device 100. However, when the porous surface 110 comesinto contact with liquid there is no meniscus to restrict flow and theliquid can flow freely into the chamber 120 of the liquid removal device100. The porous surface 110 extends radially inwardly along the barriermember 12 (as well as around the space) and its rate of extractionvaries according to how much of the porous material 110 is covered byliquid.

Control of the meniscus of liquid between the barrier member 12 and thesubstrate W is significant. During scanning of the substrate W (duringwhich the substrate moves under the barrier member 12 and projectionsystem PL) the meniscus may be drawn either towards or away from theoptical axis by a drag force applied by the moving substrate W. This maylead to liquid loss which may result in evaporation of the liquid andthereby possible cooling of the substrate and consequent shrinkage andoverlay errors. Additionally or alternatively, liquid stains may be leftbehind from interaction between the liquid droplets and resistphotochemistry. Additionally or alternatively, inclusion of gas into thespace between the projection system PL and the substrate W may be aproblem which may lead to bubbles and deterioration in the quality ofthe projected image when the meniscus is dragged into the space.

In an embodiment, a plate 200 is provided between the liquid removaldevice 100 and the substrate W so that the function of liquid extractionand the function of meniscus control may be separated from one anotherand the barrier member 12 may be optimized for each.

The plate 200 is a divider or any other element which has the functionof splitting the space between the liquid removal device 100 and thesubstrate W into two channels, an upper channel 220 and a lower channel230 wherein the upper channel 220 is between the upper surface of theplate 200 and the liquid removal device 100 and the lower channel 230 isbetween the lower surface of the plate 200 and the substrate W. Eachchannel is open, at its radially innermost end, to the space. Thethickness of the plate is not critical. Although as illustrated in FIG.6 the upper channel 220 extends horizontally, this is not necessarilythe case. The reason for the upper channel 220 extending horizontally inFIG. 6 is because of the structural arrangement of the components.However, the upper channel 220 could also extend vertically or any wherebetween horizontally and vertically. The gravitational pressure on theliquid in the upper channel 220 is low and, if necessary, may becounteracted by applying an under pressure, for example through liquidremoval device 100 itself or through another passage such as breathingholes 250 described below.

In an embodiment, the upper channel 220 between the liquid removaldevice 100 and the plate 200 is narrower than the lower channel 230between the plate 200 and the substrate W. In an embodiment, the lowerchannel is between 250 mm and 50 μm high, or between 100 and 60 μmdepending on design (viscous drag length from flow pattern), fluidparameters (viscosity, density, surface tension) and surface properties(contact angle resulting from binding energy surface/liquid and liquidsurface tension). The upper channel 220 has a stronger capillary action,for instance by making it 2 to 3 times narrower than the lower channel230. Alternatively or additionally, the upper channel 220 may be madewith a surface which is more liquidphilic than the lower channel 230.The upper channel 220 may also be wider than the lower channel 230. Ifthe upper channel 220 is too narrow, liquid may not flow in that channelbecause the frictional resistance is too large and the meniscus in thatchannel is fully loaded with hydrodynamic forces. Thus, if the upperchannel 220 is made wider, for example in the region of 150 μm, than thelower channel 230 which could be perhaps 60 μm, these difficulties maybe overcome. Above a channel width of 250 μm the capillary action isreduced. In order to promote capillary action, the upper channel 220could be made liquidphilic or a height step close to the meniscus in theupper channel 220 may be made such that the channel radially inwardly iswider than radially outwardly.

An under pressure may be applied in the upper channel 220, rather thanleaving it open to the atmosphere through breathing holes 250 e.g.through holes 250. In this way the upper channel 220 may be made wider.

In this way there are two meniscuses 310, 320. A first meniscus 310 ispositioned above the plate 200 and extends between the porous surface110 and the top surface of the plate 200 and a second meniscus 320 whichis positioned underneath the plate 200 and which extends between theplate 200 and the substrate W. In this way the extractor assembly 70 maybe optimized to control the first meniscus 310 for optimum extraction ofliquid and to control the position of the second meniscus 320 such thatthe viscous drag length for the second meniscus 320 is reduced. Inparticular, characteristics, such as of the plate 200, may be optimizedto make it energetically favorable for the second meniscus 320 to remainadhered to the plate 200 such that the scan speed of the substrate Wbeneath the barrier member 10 may be increased. Capillary forces actingon the second meniscus 320 are outwards and are balanced by an underpressure in the liquid adjacent the meniscus so that the meniscus staysstill. Higher loading on the meniscus, for example by viscous drag andinertia, may result in a lowering of the contact angle of the meniscuswith the surface.

In FIG. 6 the basic extractor assembly 70 is illustrated. Breathingholes 250 are provided at the radially outward most end of the plate 200such that the first meniscus 310 is free to move inwardly and outwardlybeneath the porous material 110 so that the extraction rate of theliquid removal device 100 can vary according to how much of the porousmaterial 110 is covered by liquid. As illustrated in FIG. 6 the secondmeniscus 320 is adhered to a lower innermost edge of the plate 200.

In FIG. 6 the innermost bottom edge of the plate 200 is provided with asharp edge so as to substantially pin the second meniscus 320 in place.In an embodiment, the radius of the edge is less than 0.1 mm, less than50 μm, less than 20 μm or about 10 μm.

An alternative or additional way of pinning the second meniscus 320 isto change the surface properties of the surface of the plate 200 towhich the second meniscus 320 adheres. For example, a change from aliquidphilic to a liquidphobic surface in a radially outward directionon the plate 200 could also result in substantial pinning of themeniscus 320 at that change because the shape of the meniscus will needto invert for it to pass from the liquidphilic to the liquidphobicsurface. Another or additional way to pin the meniscus is to change thesurface of the plate 200 from a rough surface to a smooth surface. Whenfully wetted the rough surface can act as a meniscus trap. If thesurface is not fully wetted and the liquid is only on the peaks of theroughness, a rough surface can act liquidphobic such as in the so calledlotus effect. Additionally or alternatively, electro wetting could beused to locally trap the meniscus, which has an advantage in that it canbe turned on and off.

Also illustrated in FIG. 6 is a force decoupling member (e.g., ring)500. This force decoupling member 500 surrounds the final element of theprojection system PL in the liquid. The purpose of the force decouplingmember 500 is to substantially prevent forces being transmitted from thepart of the liquid supply system which moves relative to the projectionsystem PL (see below) to the final element through the liquid. To thisend the force decoupling member 500 is attached either to a base frameBF which supports the substrate W or to a metrology frame RF to whichthe projection system PS is attached. Thus the force decoupling member500 is dynamically isolated from the projection system PL.

Although not specifically illustrated in FIG. 6, the liquid supplysystem has a means for dealing with a variation in the level of theliquid. This is so that liquid which builds up between the projectionsystem PL and the barrier member 12 may be dealt with and does notspill. Such a build-up of liquid might occur during relative movement ofthe barrier member 12 to a projection system PL described below. One wayof dealing with this liquid is to provide the barrier member 12 so thatit is very large so that there is hardly any pressure gradient over theperiphery of the barrier member 12 during movement of the barrier member12 relative to the projection system PL. In an alternative or additionalarrangement, liquid may be removed from the top of the barrier member 12using, for example, an extractor such as a single phase extractorsimilar to the extractor 110.

In an embodiment, it is possible to regulate the supply of liquid intothe space between the final element of the projection system PL andsubstrate W, for example, through outlet 20, depending on the relativedirection of movement of the barrier member 12 relative to theprojection system PL. Thus active control of the supply of liquid by theliquid supply system into the space is possible depending on themovement of the barrier member 12 relative to the projection system PL.Thus, for example, when the barrier member 12 is moving towards theprojection system PL from a first side to a second side the activecontrol of the liquid control system would provide more liquid from theside of the barrier member closer to the second side than from a part ofthe barrier member closer to the first side. The active control could beimplemented by way of piezoelectric actuated inlet nozzles, orconcentric rings moveable with respect to each other with a flow pathbetween the inside edge of the outer ring and the outside edge of theinner ring, etc.

FIG. 7 illustrates how it is possible to reduce the relative speedbetween the substrate W and the barrier member 12 of the liquid supplysystem and thereby increase the speed at which the substrate may bemoved below the projection system. This is accomplished by providing thebarrier member 12 of the liquid supply system of a size such that thebarrier member 12 may be moved relative to the projection system PL andindependently of the substrate W. This is achieved by shaping and sizingthe barrier member 12 to define an inner volume which is, in plan,larger than the size, in plan, of the final element of the projectionsystem PL at the same height as the barrier member 12 (line 300 in FIG.6). The final element may be cone shaped like illustrated in FIGS. 5 and6 and therefore larger in plan above the barrier member 12 than theinner volume.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, in an embodiment, the barrier member is sizedand shaped such that it is moveable in at least one direction (thescanning direction) in a plane substantially parallel to a top surfaceof the substrate. The barrier member should be moveable by at least adistance which gives a tangible improvement in performance. For example,sizing and shaping the barrier member 12 such that it is moveable in afirst direction at least a distance equal to a slit height of theapparatus would be appropriate. The slit of an apparatus is the size, inplan, of the aperture through which the projection beam PB passes.Generally the slit has a height of about 10 mm and a width of about 25mm. During scanning the slit width is scanned and the scan length isabout 32 mm. During a scanning movement, the substrate table WT isaccelerated for approximately 20 mm in order to reach a stable velocity.Scanning for approximately 32 mm then occurs at that stable velocitybefore deceleration of the table for about 20 mm happens. Thus the totaltravel of a substrate table WT during a scanning motion is of the orderof 70-80 mm. Allowing the barrier member 12 to move in the scanningdirection by 20% of that distance should produce a noticeable increasein through-put performance and would be suitable. Clearly increasing theamount of movement will reduce the relative velocity between thesubstrate W and the barrier member 12, more so that allowing the barriermember 12 to be moveable in the first (scanning) direction by a distanceof at least 30, 40 or 50% of a maximum scan length of the apparatus iscorrespondingly better at the cost of a larger footprint.

With regard to movement in the step direction, it might be suitable toallow movement in that direction by at least a distance equal to theslit height or perhaps the slit width. A step is approximately 25 mm inwidth and acceleration of approximately 26 mm is typically usedbeforehand in order to stabilize the substrate table and deceleration ofapproximately 26 mm is typically used afterwards. Thus the amount ofmovement possible in the second (step) direction should be a reasonablefraction of that distance, for example 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% of the steptravel distance.

The barrier member 12 may move either passively (for example against aspring force) or actively by use of an actuator 1000 for movement in onedirection (scanning) and a second actuator 2000 for movement in thedirection orthogonal to the scanning direction.

When the substrate W moves to the right hand side as illustrated in FIG.6, the barrier member 12 is also moved to the right hand side at a speedequal to two times the speed of the substrate W or less. Both thesemovements are relative to the projection system PL. In this relativespeed range, the speed difference between the substrate W and barriermember 12, the plate 200 in particular, is reduced. For example if thebarrier member 12 is moved at half the velocity of the substrate W thismeans that the maximum scan speed at which the lower meniscus 320 maybreak is increased by a factor of 2 because the relative speed betweenthe substrate and the plate is reduced by half. The upper meniscus 310experiences little or no movement. Lower speeds of the barrier member12, say up to a speed equal to the substrate, should provide the samebenefits as higher speeds up to twice the speed of the substrate but areeasier to implement.

In practice the barrier member may move at any speed or direction whichreduces the relative velocity between the sealing surface of the plate200 and the substrate W. During scanning in order to prevent cumulativemovement in a certain direction the barrier member 12 is only movedduring the fast movements of the substrate W and may then be broughtback gradually to a centered position during slower movement or duringperiods where there is no movement. Thus, during Y scans the barriermember 12 may simply move up and down during the meandering and during Xsteps the barrier member 12 may move with the substrate. During the Yscans the barrier member 12 may move back to its original position toprevent accumulative movement in the X direction.

The movement of the barrier member 12 may be either active or passive.In the case of an active barrier member 12, a control system is providedwhich interacts with data from the overall controller of thelithographic apparatus to co-ordinate movements of the barrier member 12with movements of the substrate W. The barrier member 12 may be actuatedby, for example a piezo electric actuator, a linear motor, etc. In anembodiment in which the barrier member 12 is moved passively, thebarrier member 12 may be attached to the base frame BF, reference frameRF or projection system PL by one or more springs positioning it in theX-Y direction. Friction through the liquid between the moveable plate200 and the substrate W should provide enough force for the barriermember 12 to be moved in the same direction as the substrate W. Byadding a liquidphobic coating at an edge of the plate 200, the forceexerted on the plate by the substrate W through the liquid may beincreased. The strength of the spring(s) is chosen such that the barriermember 12 moves only during step movements of high speed.

The barrier member is described as being rectangular in the descriptionof the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 and references to radially (i.e. inand out towards the optical axis) are made. The term should be construedgenerally to encompass movements with geometries other than circulargenerally away from and towards the optical axis but in some geometriesthe directions may not exactly pass through the optical axis.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show two practical examples of the moving barrier member12 described above in which the movement of the barrier member 12 isactive i.e. it is moved with actuators 1000, 2000. FIG. 8a shows themovement of the substrate W under the projection system PL and FIG. 8bshows the movement of the barrier member 12 under the stationaryprojection system PL. The substrate is scanned under the projectionsystem PL from position 1 to position 2 (FIG. 8a ) such that the shadedsquare box is illuminated as the mask is scanned across. During thisscanning the barrier member 12 follows (slowly) a diagonal path fromposition 1 to position 2 (FIG. 8b ). During the step motion (2-3-4), toreduce the relative speed between the barrier member 12 and substrate W,the barrier member 12 may then also move from left to right asillustrated (2-3-4) in FIG. 8b . During the scan from 4-5 anotherdiagonal path is traversed slowly by the barrier member 12 in order thatthe barrier member is in a position at the end of that scan to move onceagain in the X direction to reduce the relative speed between thesubstrate and the barrier member 12 during the X step. FIG. 8cillustrates the absolute speeds of the substrate and the barrier memberas well as the relative speed between the substrate and the barriermember. From this graph it is easy to see how the moveable barriermember 12 may reduce the relative speed between the substrate W and thebarrier member 12 and thereby allow a greater speed of the substrate Wleading to possible increased throughput before meniscus breakdown.

FIGS. 9a-c illustrate a similar principle to that illustrated in FIGS.8a-c except for longer scans to allow for double exposure.

For small fields (e.g. 10 mm long), the speed in the scan direction maybecome smaller than in the step direction. The same applies for arequired stroke, it depends upon the use to which the apparatus is beingput.

In order to increase modularity, identical actuators may be used formovement of the barrier member 12 in the scanning and step directionsand they may have the same stroke.

In an alternative embodiment the plate 200 is dispensed with i.e. one ormore embodiments of the invention work just as well with differentconstructions of barrier member.

In all embodiments, the controller may also predict likely movementsrequired by the sealing surface in the future because it has the dataregarding the movement which the substrate will undergo during exposure.Thus, it may, during slow movement of the substrate relative to theprojection system, move the barrier member close to an extreme position(or back to a central position) so as to increase or maximize theavailable movement of the barrier member for a future high speedmovement of the substrate relative to the projection system.

In an embodiment, the plate 200 is translatable relative to the barriermember 12 in a plane substantially parallel to the substrate W. In thisembodiment, the barrier member 12 itself is not substantially movedrelative to the projection system PL during scanning of the substratebut it is the plate 200 which is moved (e.g. as described above inrelation to FIGS. 8 and 9) to reduce the relative speed between thesubstrate W and the plate 200 to which the meniscus 320 is attached.

When the substrate moves to the right hand side as illustrated in FIG.6, the plate 200 is also moved to the right hand side at a speed equalto two times the speed of the substrate W or less. Both these movementsare relative to the projection system PL and barrier member 12. In thisrelative speed range the speed difference between the substrate W andthe plate 200 is reduced. For example if the plate 200 is moved at halfthe velocity of the substrate W this means that the maximum scan speedat which the lower meniscus 320 may break is increased by a factor of 2because the relative speed between the substrate and the plate 200 isreduced by half. The upper meniscus 310 only experiences the plate 200movement. It may be necessary to provide a breathing hole equivalent tobreathing hole 250 in the side wall of the barrier member rather thanthrough the plate 200. A lower speed of the plate, say up to a speedequal to the speed of the substrate, may provide the same benefits as ahigher speed up to twice the speed of the substrate but is easier toimplement.

In practice the plate may move at any speed which reduces the relativevelocity between the sealing surface of the plate 200 and the substrateW. During scanning in order to prevent cumulative movement in a certaindirection the plate is only moved during the fast movements of thesubstrate W and may then be brought back gradually to a centeredposition during slower movement or during periods where there is nomovement. Thus, during Y scans the plate may simply move up and downduring the meandering and during X steps the plate may move with thesubstrate. During the Y scans the plate may move back to its originalposition to prevent accumulative movement in the X direction.

The movement of the plate may be either active or passive. In the caseof an active plate a control system is provided which interacts withdata from the overall controller of the lithographic apparatus toco-ordinate movements of the plate 200 with movements of the substrateW. The plate 200 may be actuated by, for example a piezo electricactuator, a linear motor, etc. In an embodiment in which the plate ismoved passively, the plate may be attached to the barrier member 10 by aspring positioning it in the X-Y direction. Friction through the liquidbetween the moveable plate 200 and the substrate W will provide enoughforce for the plate 200 to be moved in the same direction as thesubstrate W. By adding a liquidphobic coating at an edge of the plate200, the force exerted on the plate by the substrate W through theliquid may be increased. The strength of the spring may be chosen suchthat the plate moves only during step movements of high speed.

Thus, as can be seen, by moving a part of the liquid supply systemrelative to the projection system and independently of the substrate butin the same direction of the substrate during fast movement of thesubstrate, the speed of movement of the substrate may be increasedbefore liquid leaks from the liquid supply system. In particular thepart which is moved is the part to which one end of the meniscus 320,which extends from the substrate W and the liquid supply system, isattached. Thus, although an embodiment of the invention has beendescribed in relation to moving the whole of the barrier member 12 orthe plate 200 relative to the projection system PL there may be otherdesigns of liquid supply system in which a different part or member ofthe liquid supply system may be moved relative to the projection systemPL to achieve the same effect as described above. As described above, anembodiment of the invention has been described above in relation to twoparticular types of barrier member liquid supply systems. There areother liquid supply systems to which an embodiment of the presentinvention may also be applied e.g. barrier member solutions without aplate 200 and/or with a gas knife to contain the liquid.

Although specific reference may be made in this text to the use oflithographic apparatus in the manufacture of ICs, it should beunderstood that the lithographic apparatus described herein may haveother applications, such as the manufacture of integrated opticalsystems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories,flat-panel displays, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), thin-film magneticheads, etc. The skilled artisan will appreciate that, in the context ofsuch alternative applications, any use of the terms “wafer” or “die”herein may be considered as synonymous with the more general terms“substrate” or “target portion”, respectively. The substrate referred toherein may be processed, before or after exposure, in for example atrack (a tool that typically applies a layer of resist to a substrateand develops the exposed resist), a metrology tool and/or an inspectiontool. Where applicable, the disclosure herein may be applied to such andother substrate processing tools. Further, the substrate may beprocessed more than once, for example in order to create a multi-layerIC, so that the term substrate used herein may also refer to a substratethat already contains multiple processed layers.

Although specific reference may have been made above to the use ofembodiments of the invention in the context of optical lithography, itwill be appreciated that the invention may be used in otherapplications, for example imprint lithography, and where the contextallows, is not limited to optical lithography. In imprint lithography atopography in a patterning device defines the pattern created on asubstrate. The topography of the patterning device may be pressed into alayer of resist supplied to the substrate whereupon the resist is curedby applying electromagnetic radiation, heat, pressure or a combinationthereof. The patterning device is moved out of the resist leaving apattern in it after the resist is cured.

The terms “radiation” and “beam” used herein encompass all types ofelectromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation (e.g.having a wavelength of or about 365, 248, 193, 157 or 126 nm).

The term “lens”, where the context allows, may refer to any one orcombination of various types of optical components, includingrefractive, reflective, magnetic, electromagnetic and electrostaticoptical components.

In an embodiment, there is provided a lithographic apparatus,comprising: a projection system; a table configured to hold a substrateto be imaged by the projection system; and a liquid supply systemconfigured to provide a space between the projection system and thesubstrate with liquid, at least a part of the liquid supply system beingmoveable relative to and independent of the projection system and thesubstrate in at least one direction which is substantially parallel to atop surface of the substrate.

In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises an actuator configuredto move the at least a part of the liquid supply system in the at leastone direction. In an embodiment, in use, a boundary of the liquidextends between the substrate and the at least a part of the liquidsupply system. In an embodiment, the boundary is a meniscus. In anembodiment, the liquid supply system comprises a gas knife configured toseal between the liquid supply system and substrate to at least partlycontain liquid in the space. In an embodiment, the liquid supply systemis configured to provide liquid to an area of the substrate which is, inplan, smaller than a top surface of the substrate. In an embodiment, inuse, movement of the at least a part of the liquid supply system in theat least one direction is effective to move a volume, to which the atleast a part of the liquid supply system provides liquid, in the atleast one direction. In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises asubstrate table configured to hold the substrate and move it relative tothe projection system independent of movement of the at least a part ofthe liquid supply system. In an embodiment, the apparatus furthercomprises a positional controller configured to control movement of theat least a part of the liquid supply system such that, during a portionof movement of the substrate relative to the projection system duringimaging, the at least a part of the liquid supply system is moved toreduce relative velocity between the at least a part of the liquidsupply system and the substrate, while maintaining the space between theprojection system and the substrate substantially full of liquid. In anembodiment, the positional controller is configured to control movementof the at least a part of the liquid supply system, during a scanning ofthe substrate under the projection system in a scanning direction, witha major component in the scanning direction and a minor component in adirection substantially orthogonal to the scanning direction, such thatthe at least a part of the liquid supply system moves during the scanfrom a position to one side of the projection system to a positiontoward the other side of the projection system in a directionsubstantially orthogonal to the scanning direction. In an embodiment,the positional controller is configured to control movement of the atleast a part of the liquid supply system, during a step motion of thesubstrate under the projection system in a step direction, in the stepdirection. In an embodiment, the at least a part of the liquid supplysystem is configured to form a contactless seal between the liquidsupply system and the substrate. In an embodiment, the at least a partof the liquid supply system comprises a barrier member configured tosurround the space and provide a physical barrier to liquid escapingradially outwardly from an optical axis of the apparatus from the spaceand wherein, in use, the contactless seal is provided between thebarrier member and the substrate. In an embodiment, in use, thecontactless seal at least partly relies on a meniscus force of theliquid. In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a firstactuator configured to move the at least a part of the liquid supplysystem in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the at leastone direction. In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises asecond actuator configured to move the at least a part of the liquidsupply system in the at least one direction and wherein the stroke ofthe second actuator is at least 1½ times the stroke of the firstactuator. In an embodiment, the at least a part of the liquid supplysystem comprises a plate. In an embodiment, the at least a part of theliquid supply system comprises a liquid supply part of the liquid supplysystem. In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a forcedecoupling member, positioned around the projection system and, in use,in the liquid, to at least reduce transfer of forces from the part ofthe liquid supply system to the projection system through the liquid. Inan embodiment, in use, the force decoupling member is dynamicallydecoupled from the projection system. In an embodiment, the forcedecoupling member is attached to a frame to which the projection systemis attached or attached to a frame configured to support the substrate.

In an embodiment, there is provided a lithographic apparatus,comprising: a projection system; a table configured to hold a substrateto be imaged by the projection system; and a liquid supply systemcomprising a barrier member, surrounding the projection system,configured to at least partly contain liquid in a volume including aspace between the projection system and the substrate, wherein thebarrier member is configured to be moveable independently of thesubstrate in a first direction in a plane substantially parallel to atop surface of the substrate, and wherein the barrier member is sizedand shaped such that it is moveable in the first direction by at least adistance equal to a slit height of the lithographic apparatus.

In an embodiment, the barrier member is sized and shaped such that it ismoveable in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the firstdirection and in a plane substantially parallel to the top surface ofthe substrate by at least a distance equal to the slit height of thelithographic apparatus. In an embodiment, the barrier member is sizedand shaped such that it is moveable by more distance in the firstdirection than it is moveable in a second direction. In an embodiment,the barrier member is sized and shaped such that it is moveable in thefirst direction by a distance of at least 20% of a maximum scan lengthof the lithographic apparatus. In an embodiment, the barrier member issized and shaped such that it is moveable in a second direction by adistance of at least 20% of the slit width of the apparatus.

In an embodiment, there is provided a lithographic apparatus,comprising: a projection system; a table configured to hold a substrateto be imaged by the projection system; a liquid supply system configuredto provide a space between the projection system and the substrate withliquid; and a force decoupling member, positioned around the projectionsystem and, in use, in the liquid, to at least reduce transfer of forcesfrom the liquid supply system to the projection system through theliquid. In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a base frameconfigured to support the substrate and wherein the force decouplingmember is attached to the base frame.

In an embodiment, there is provided a device manufacturing method,comprising: providing a liquid between a projection system and asubstrate using a liquid supply system, part of which forms a sealbetween it and the substrate; using the projection system to project apatterned beam of radiation onto the substrate; moving the substrateunder the projection system; and during moving of the substrate, movingthe part of the liquid supply system in a direction and at a speed toreduce the relative velocity between the substrate and the part.

In an embodiment, during scanning movement of the substrate in ascanning direction, the part is moved with a major component in thescanning direction and a minor component in a direction substantiallyorthogonal to the scanning direction, such that the part moves duringthe scan from a position to one side of the projection system to aposition toward the other side of the projection system in a directionsubstantially orthogonal to the scanning direction. In an embodiment,during a step motion of the substrate under the projection system in astep direction, the part is moved in the step direction.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described above,it will be appreciated that the invention may be practiced otherwisethan as described. For example, the invention may take the form of acomputer program containing one or more sequences of machine-readableinstructions describing a method as disclosed above, or a data storagemedium (e.g. semiconductor memory, magnetic or optical disk) having sucha computer program stored therein.

One or more embodiments of the invention may be applied to any immersionlithography apparatus, in particular, but not exclusively, those typesmentioned above and whether the immersion liquid is provided in the formof a bath or only on a localized surface area of the substrate. A liquidsupply system as contemplated herein should be broadly construed. Incertain embodiments, it may be a mechanism or combination of structuresthat provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and thesubstrate and/or substrate table. It may comprise a combination of oneor more structures, one or more liquid inlets, one or more gas inlets,one or more gas outlets, and/or one or more liquid outlets that provideliquid to the space. In an embodiment, a surface of the space may be aportion of the substrate and/or substrate table, or a surface of thespace may completely cover a surface of the substrate and/or substratetable, or the space may envelop the substrate and/or substrate table.The liquid supply system may optionally further include one or moreelements to control the position, quantity, quality, shape, flow rate orany other features of the liquid.

The immersion liquid used in the apparatus may have differentcompositions, according to the desired properties and the wavelength ofexposure radiation used. For an exposure wavelength of 193 nm, ultrapure water or water-based compositions may be used and for this reasonthe immersion liquid is sometimes referred to as water and water-relatedterms such as hydrophilic, hydrophobic, humidity, etc. may be used.

The descriptions above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting.Thus, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modificationsmay be made to the invention as described without departing from thescope of the claims set out below.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A force decoupling member for alithographic apparatus, the lithographic apparatus comprising: aprojection system; a substrate table configured to support a substrate;and a liquid confinement structure configured to confine a liquid to aspace between the projection system and the substrate with liquid,wherein the substrate table is movable with respect to at least part ofthe liquid confinement structure, the force decoupling member configuredto be positioned adjacent the projection system and, in use, in theliquid, to at least reduce transfer of forces from the liquidconfinement structure to the projection system through the liquid andthe force decoupling member, wherein the force decoupling member issubstantially stationary relative to the projection system and/or theliquid confinement structure.
 2. The member of claim 1, wherein theforce decoupling member is configured to be attached to a frameconfigured to support the substrate.
 3. The member of claim 1, whereinthe force decoupling member is configured to be dynamically decoupledfrom the projection system.
 4. The member of claim 1, wherein the forcedecoupling member is configured to be attached to a frame to which theprojection system is attached.
 5. The member of claim 1, wherein theforce decoupling member is configured such that, when in use in theliquid, at least some of the liquid is between the liquid confinementstructure and the member and a space is located between the member andthe projection system.
 6. The member of claim 1, wherein the forcedecoupling member is configured surround a portion of the projectionsystem.
 7. A lithographic apparatus, comprising: a table configured tohold a substrate to be imaged by a projection system; and the forcedecoupling member of claim
 1. 8. A member for a lithographic apparatus,the lithographic apparatus comprising: a projection system; a substratetable configured to support a substrate; and a liquid confinementstructure configured to confine a liquid to a space between theprojection system and the substrate with liquid, wherein the substratetable is movable with respect to at least part of the liquid confinementstructure, the member configured to be positioned adjacent theprojection system and, in use, in the liquid, such that at least some ofthe liquid is between the liquid confinement structure and the memberand a space is located between the member and the projection system. 9.The member of claim 8, wherein the member is configured to be attachedto a frame configured to support the substrate.
 10. The member of claim8, wherein member is configured to be dynamically decoupled from theprojection system.
 11. The member of claim 8, wherein the member isconfigured to be attached to a frame to which the projection system isattached.
 12. The member of claim 8, wherein the member is configuredsurround a portion of the projection system.
 13. The member of claim 8,wherein the member is configured such that, when in use in the liquid,at least some of the liquid is between the member and the projectionsystem.
 14. A lithographic apparatus, comprising: a table configured tohold a substrate to be imaged by a projection system; and the member ofclaim
 8. 15. A liquid handling system for a lithographic apparatushaving a movable table and a projection system configured to project aradiation beam onto a substrate, the liquid handling system comprising:a first structure configured to at least partly constrain liquid in aspace between the projection system and the table; and a secondstructure located or locatable underneath a lower surface of the firststructure and arranged to be movable with respect to the first structureand the table during projection of the radiation beam onto the substratewhile a bottom surface of the second structure is located higher than atop surface of the table when the table is positioned underneath theprojection system.
 16. The liquid handling system of claim 15, furthercomprising an opening in a surface arranged to face toward the table,the opening configured to remove or supply fluid.
 17. The liquidhandling system of claim 16, further comprising an outlet configured tobe located outward, relative to a path for the radiation beam throughthe space, of the opening, the outlet configured to exhaust fluid. 18.The liquid handling system of claim 15, wherein the structure is atleast in part elongate and at least in part plate-like.
 19. The liquidhandling system of claim 15, wherein a gap is formed between the firstand second structures such that liquid from the space is arranged tohorizontally flow in the gap toward an extraction opening.
 20. Theliquid handling system of claim 15, further comprising an actuatorconfigured to move the second structure with respect to the firststructure and wherein, in an operation of the lithographic apparatus, ameniscus of the liquid is arranged to extend between the table and thesecond structure.